Joe Price was a left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for 11 seasons. He was born on November 29, 1956, in Inglewood, California. Price attended the University of Oklahoma, where he played college baseball for the Sooners.
Price was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 1977 MLB draft. He made his major league debut on September 2, 1980, and spent the next five seasons with the Reds. Price was primarily used as a relief pitcher during his time in Cincinnati, but he also made some starts. He had his best season in 1983 when he went 10-6 with a 3.43 ERA in 47 games (15 starts).
In December 1984, Price was traded to the San Francisco Giants for pitcher Jeff Robinson. He spent two seasons with the Giants, pitching primarily out of the bullpen. In 1986, he had a 2.91 ERA in 54 games.
Price became a free agent after the 1986 season and signed with the Baltimore Orioles. He spent one season with the Orioles, going 3-4 with a 4.50 ERA in 47 games (one start).
In December 1987, Price was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Mike Bielecki. He spent two seasons with the Pirates, pitching out of the bullpen. In 1988, he had a 2.45 ERA in 54 games.
Price became a free agent after the 1989 season and signed with the Seattle Mariners. He spent one season with the Mariners, going 2-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 38 games (one start).
Price retired after the 1990 season with a career record of 43-49 and a 3.62 ERA in 537 games (27 starts). He had 28 saves and pitched 838 innings. Price was known for his control, as he walked just 2.2 batters per nine innings in his career.
After his playing career, Price became a coach. He was the pitching coach for the University of Oklahoma from 1992 to 1994. He then spent several years coaching in the minor leagues before becoming the pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds in 2001. He held that position until 2003.
Price then became the pitching coach for the Seattle Mariners from 2004 to 2005. He was the pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds again from 2006 to 2013. In 2014, he was named the manager of the Reds, but he was fired after the team got off to a 3-15 start. Price then became the pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2016 to 2017.
Overall, Joe Price had a solid career as a left-handed pitcher in the major leagues. He was primarily used as a reliever, but he also made some starts. He had good control and was known for his ability to get batters out. After his playing career, he became a coach and had success in that role as well.
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